Machine for sewing looped fabrics



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. F. OHAMPLIN. MACHINE FOR SEWING LOOPBD FABRICS.

No. 421,549. Patented Feb. 18. 1890.

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(No Model.) 3 Shets-Sheet 3.

v A; F.- CHAMPLIN, v MACHINE FOR SEWING LOOPED FABRICS. No. 421.549.Patented Feb. 18, 1890.

N. Pi-Tilliifioio-Ulhognghnr. Washington, v.0.

'movement. I an advanced position, and Fig.11 is a side UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

AMOS F. CHAMPLIN, OF GRANBY, CONNECTICUT.

MACHIN E FOR SEWING LOOPED FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,549, dated February18, 1890.

Application filed December 24, 1888. Serial No 294,534- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AMos F. CHAMPLIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Granby, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trimmers forLooping-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for uniting knitfabrics, said machines being generally called circular-looping machines;and the principal object of my invention is to provide a trimmer whichwill leave a clean smooth edge without any projecting ends or loosethreads.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of an ordinarycircular-looping machine with my-trimnier attached. Fig. 1 is a diagramillustrating the operation of my trimmer. Fig. 2'is a front elevation ofsaid circular-looping machine with my trimmer attached. Fig. 3 is adetached view on an enlarged scale of devices connected with the rockingneedle-arm for actuating my trimmer, the pin or stud bearing saiddevices being shown in vertical transverse section, and the devicesbeing illustrated as viewed from the rear. Fig. 4: is a detached rearelevation of the driving-collar. Fig. 5 represents said actuatingdevices, partly in side elevation and partly in section on line as a; ofFig. 3. Fig. 6 is in the main a plan view of my trimmer as detached fromthe machine,with parts thereof shown in horizontal sectionon line y y ofFig. 7. Fig. 7 is a side elevation, as viewed from the right, of mytrimmer as detached from the machine. Fig. 8 is a partial side view andpartial section on line z z of .Fig. 6, as viewed from the left. Fig. 9is a detached view showing mainly a side eleva tion of the picker in theearly part of its Fig. 10 is a like view thereofi in elevation ofdetached parts of the mechanism for operating the picker. Figs. 3 to 11,in-

elusive, are on a scale twice that of Figs. 1 and 2.

As in ordinary circular-looping machines, the work to be sewed isarranged with certain rows of its loops upon the pins of the pin-wheelA, and said wheel is rotated with anintermittent movement equal to oneloop I to bring the work pin by pin and loop by loop to the action ofthe sewing mechanism, in which a is the needle, said needle beingmounted upon the rocking needle-arm 13, all asin ordinary machines ofthis class, and therefore a further description of said machine isconsidered unnecessary. In the machine illustrated the sewingmechanismmakes the ordinary stitch, the needle making one reciprocating movementfor every intermittent movement of the pin-wheel. In a ma chine of thekind known as double-seaming the needle makes an extra movementrelatively to the movement of the pinwhee1, and if my trimmer is to beattached to such a machine the strokes of the needle should be takeninto consideration in arranging the act uating mechanism for thetrimmer.

Projecting from one side of the needle-arm B there is a round stud 12,upon which is mounted the driving-collar 13, said collar being providedwith a set-screw 14, or other device for fastening it rigidly upon saidstud.

This collar is provided witha notch 15, Fig.

4, one side of which presents an abrupt shoulder. Upon the rear side ofthe collar there is a friction ratchet-plate 16, having eight teeth, thespace or notch between every other one of which is of adepth equal ornearly equal to the depth of the notch 15, while the other spaces are ofa depth which will not quite reach the periphery of the collar 13. Thisratchet plate is held from turning accidentally on its bearings by meansof the spring-washer 17. the needle-arm B moves forward in making itsstroke, the stud 12 and attached devices necessarily move forward in thearc of a circle.

I form my trimming device upon the plate C, which plate I fasten to astationary hub or disk about which the pin-wheel rotates. Upon thisplate I attach the angle-lever 18, to one end of which I secure onevendof a pawl-bar 19, the opposite end of which pawl-bar is in contact withthe ratchet-plate 16 and at times with the driving-collar 13. Thispawl-bar is held against said ratchet-plate by means of the spring 20.\Vhen the stud 12 and attached devices make their forward stroke, if oneof the deep spaces of the ratchet-plate coincides with the notch in thedriving col- (See Figs. 3 and 5.) As

lar 13 said collar engages the end of the pawlbar, moves the pawl-barlongitudinally, and thereby imparts a movement to the anglelever 18 foroperating the trimmer. Said angle-lever makes its return movement underthe influence of a spring hereinafter described. lVhen the stud 12 movesforward and the pawl 19 rests in a shallow space of the ratchet-plate16, the end of said pawl-bar is held out of engagement from the notch 15of the driving-collar 13, and consequently during such forward strokethe ratchet-plate merely slips on its frictional bearing without movingthe pawl-bar 19 longitudinally. It will thus be seen that the actuatingdevices operate the angle-lever l8 and the trimming attachment only atevery alternate movement of the needle-arm and pin-wheel. In case theneedle-arm has more movements than the pin-wheel the actuating mechanismwill be modified accordingly to actuate the trimming attachment only ateach alternate movement of the pimwlieel. This may be accomplished bychanging the relative number of shallow spaces in the ratchet-plate. Inall cases, however, the deep and shallow spaces will occur inalternation that is to say, no matter whether there is one or more ofthe shallow spaces between each deep space, the necessary number willalternate with the several deep spaces. For example, in the drawingsthere is only one shallow space between each deep space; but if theneedle-arm should make, say, two movements for each movement of thepin-wheel, then there will be three shallow spaces alternating each ofthe deep spaces. The term in claim l, spaces between its teeth ofalternating varying depths, is intended to apply to both of theseconstructions or any modification of the relative numbers of deep andshallow spaces that may be used to accomplish the same result.

My trimming device is believed to differ from prior ones in the factthat instead of trimming or cutting the entire fabric through andthrough in the line presented to the cutter I only cut the thread oryarn of certain loops of the fabric in said line, and then pick out theintermediate sections of threads be tween the points so cut, therebyleaving the trimmed edge free from all ragged or projecting ends inprecisely the same condition that it would be if'it had been raveled.

21 designates the cutter for cutting the loops, said cutter beingmounted upon a rocking arm 22, which arm is mounted upon the rock-shaft23, supported in suitable bearings on the plate 0. Said cutter consistsof a pointed blade sharpened on its upper edge, andit is mounted on therocking arm at substantially right angles thereto, so that it haspractically a longitudinal movement in a di reetion radially to thepin-wheel. Said rock.- shaft is also provided with a rocking arm 24-,the lower end of which is connected by a pit man 25 to one arm of theangle-lever 18,

which angle lever, as before described, is moved in one direction bymeans of the actuating mechanism. The rock-shaft and anglelever aremoved in the-opposite direction by means of the spring 26, one end ofwhich is fastened to a projection of the plate 0 and the other end to anarm 27, that proj ects from the rock shaft 23. The work on the pinwheelcomes immediately in front of the edge of the plate 0, and said plate isslotted at 33, Fig. 6, imm ediatelyin rear of the knife which enterssaid slot, whereby the edge of the plate forms a work-support and holdsthe work on the pin-wheel against the thrust of the cutter in' cuttingthe loops.

28 designates the pieker-bar, which is secured to a stationaryprojection on the frame attached to the plate 0 by means of the screw29, which passes through a slot (see Fig. 8) in said bar. The picker-bar28 is supported when at rest by the support 30, Fig. 8, on which thelower side of the bar rests. A spring 31 is secured by one end to theframe and by its other end to the picker-bar, and

has a constant tendency to move said bar longitudinally to the rear. Therear end of the picker-bar has attached to it the pickerpoiut 32, whichhas a needle-like forward end, the length of which point extends ra-.

dially to the pin-wheel. Mounted upon a stationary part of the frame isan anglelever 34, the lower end of which is of a peculiar curved form,as shown in Fig. 11. A pin 35, Fig. 11, on the side of the cutter-arm22, bears against the edge of this lever, so that at each stroke of thecutter-arm said anglelever is moved in one direction. It is moved in theopposite direction by means of the spring 36, of any suitableconstruction----as, for instance, a spiral spring coiled about thescrew, by which said angle-levcr is pivoted to the frame and having oneend hooked or fastened to said frame or stationary support, while itsother end is hooked over the edge of said angle-lever 34, as shown. Theupper arm of this angledever is con nectcd by means of a pitman 37 tothe rear end of the picker-bar 28, whereby the 001m bined movements ofthe spring 31 and angle lever 34; impart to the picker-bar, first, alongitudinal rearward movement, and, second, a swinging movement in anupward direction. In order to make certain the forward move ment of thepicker-bar 28 away from the pinwheel, 1 provide it with the pin 46, Fig.11, against which the side of the cutter-arm 22 acts, as shown in saidfigure, said pin being located on that side of said picker-bar thatconfronts said cutter-arm. In connection with the picker point and bar Iemploy a pressingiinger 38, the front end of which is adapted to pressupon the loop at the top of the point. This finger lies loosely inguides 39 on the top of the plate C, and is held down by means of thespring 40, the end of which rests in a notch in the top of said finger,said spring being so arranged as also to impart to IIO ' the finger,when released, a'slight forward pin-wheel is at rest.

movement. An arm 41 projects from the angle-lever 18 into a slot in thebody of said finger, the slot being of such length that when theangle-lever is at rest, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8, said arm strikes therear end of the slot and holds said finger in its rearmost position, thearm 41 releasing the finger and letting it slide forward simultaneouslywith the rearward movement of the picker at each movement of thetrimming devices.

As illustrated, I have arranged the cutter 21. and the'picker-point 32 adistance apart equal to seven pins of the pin-Wheel, or, in other words,there are six pins of the pinwheel between said cutter and picker-point.The diagram, Fig. 1, illustrates a looped fabric placed upon the pins 42of the pinwheel-and the manner of cutting the same. The cutter firstacts upon the loops above one of the pins 42 to cut them at the point43, the point of the cutter first entering the loops and then finallysevering them by a single cut as the cutter presses rearwardly againstthe edge of the plate 0 when the At the next movement of the pin-wheelthe loops thus out are carried forward a space equal to the distancefrom pin to pin, or, in other words, equal to one loop, the cutterduring the period of rest following said. movement being idle, so

that the loops above the succeeding pin are not cut; but after thesecond movement of the pin-wheel other loopsare out, leaving an uncutportion between each of the cuts. After four such cuts have been made,and simultaneously with making the fifth cut at the point 43, thepicker-point 32 moves rearwardly to enter the uncut loop, as shown inFig. 1, in which figure the point 43 indicates the proper position ofthe cutter 21 relatively to the picker-point 32. Simultaneously withthis rearward movement the pressing finger 38 moves forward and pressesthe yarn between said'finger and picker-point, this position of thepressingfinger and picker-point being illustrated in Fig. 9. Thepicker-point then swings upwardly, carrying the pressing-finger with it,into the position shown in Fig. 10, thereby pulling out that portion ofthe thread or yarn which lies between the two cut loops and whollyseparating it from the fabric, leaving the fabric free from all looseends, with its upper loops lying upon the pins of the pin-wheel, asshown at the left-hand end of the diagram, ready for the operation ofthe sewing mechanism. The pieces of thread or yarn thus pulled out bythepicker fall upon the waste pan or guard 44 and are discharged from themachine. should be noticed that the picker grasps the sections of cutthreads at a point about the middle of their length, whereby the pullwill be even on both sides of the picker and bot] ends will be pulledout.

It sometimes happens that the work is not properly placed upon thepin-wheel with the loops all in a row, in which .case a :longer threadwill remain to be picked out by the picker, and inasmuch as the pickerwould not take hold of said thread atthe middle the entire thread mightnot be pulled out thereby. I therefore provide the slot 45 in thewaste-pan, into which any projecting thread may be drawn and wedged soas to be pulled from the fabric as the pin-wheel passes under said pan.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a looping-machine, the combination 0 theintermittently-moving pin-wheel, its operating mechanism, thereciprocating pivoted cutter, pointed and sharpened at its upper edgeand having said upper edge extending in a radial direction to saidpin-wheel and mounted to move in a given path in a definite relation tosaid pin-wheel at a distance above the pins of the pin-wheel equal toone loop of the fabric being trimmed, whereby said knife at each strokeenters and cuts the loops of the fabric next above the pin which isunder said knife, substantially as described, and for the purposespecified.

2. In a trimming attachment for looping= machines, the combination of apin-wheel, a cutter for cutting the loops at every alternate pin of thepin-wheel, a picker consisting of a needle-like point whose lengthextends sub stantially in a radial direction to said pin wheel, andmechanism for operating said pinwheel, cutter, and picker, substantiallyas described, and for the purpose specified.

3. In a looping-machine, in combination with operating mechanism, apin-wheel for supporting the work to be trimmed and sewed,

rocking arm, mechanism for reciprocating said arm at regular intervalsand also for imartin an intermittent forward movement P a:

to said pin-wheel, a driving-collar having a.

shouldered notch and mounted on said rocking arm to reciprocatetherewith, a friction ratchet-plate by the sideIof said collar, havingspaces between its teeth of alternating varying depths, the pawl-bar 19,one end of which engages said ratchetplate and collar, and a trimmingattachment operatively connected with the opposite end of saidpawl-bar,-sub-1 stantially as described. a

5. In a looping-machine having apin-wheel and trimmer, the picker-bar28, mounted for sliding longitudinally and swinging upwardly, theneedle-like picker-point mounted on and projecting from the swinging endof said bar and standing with its length in a radial direction to saidpin-wheel, and operating mechanism for imparting said movements to saidbar and point, substantially as described, and for the purposespecified.

6. In a trimming attachment for loopingmachines, the picker-bar 28, itsoperating mechanism, the picker-point 32 on the swingin g end of saidbar, and the pressing-finger 38, for acting- 011 the upper side of saidpoint, substantially as desciibed, and for the purpose specified.

7. In a tiimming' attachment for loopingmachines, the picker-bar 28,picker-point on the swinging end thereof, the spring 31, the pitman 37,angle-lever 3i, and operating; mechanism for said lever, substantiallyas described, and for the purpose specified.

8. Ina trimming attachment for loopingmachines, the combination of thepickerpoint, its operating mechanism, the pressingfinger 38, guides 39,in Which said finger is mounted to slide, the spring 40, and thereciprocating arm 41, engaging with said pressing-finger, substantiallyas described, and for the purpose specified.

9. In a trimming attachment for loopingmachines, the combination of apinavheel, a cutter for-cutting the loops above every alternate pin, thecutting-edge of which cutter extends substantially in a radial directionto said pinwheel, a picker for removing the sections so cut, andmechanism for operating said pin-wheel, cutter, and picker,substantsally as described, and for the purpose specified.

AMOS F. OITAIVIPLIN.

Witnesses:

JOHN EDWARDS, J12, JAMES SHEPARD,

